The Forbidden Billionaire (The Sinclairs Book 2) (2 page)

Jared tensed. “You have a lease, right?”

“Nope,” she answered abruptly. “It’s always been a month-to-month rental. It’s been that way since my grandma had the house. There’s not even a written rental contract. The owners lived here in Amesport up until about twenty years ago. The house was passed from son to son. There was never any question about the rental of the property until the last son moved away. He hated it here.”

“We can find you a new place. The house isn’t safe anymore, Mara. It needs major renovation. The old place is like a ticking time bomb without complete renovation. Is the roof leaking from the rain?” Jared rasped gravely.

She looked at him, startled. “Yes. In a few places upstairs. How did you know?”

“I’m an architect. I can see the signs. How much repair have the owners done that you can remember?”
Fuck.
He hoped it was more than he suspected.

Her shoulders slumped as she replied, “Nothing that I can remember. The house needs a lot of work. I do what I can, but it’s been hard since my mother died, and the owner now refuses to do any work to the house. I guess because he never planned on keeping it.”

Jared knew from the town gossip circuit that Mara had lost her dad to a heart attack years ago, and her mother had just passed a little over a year ago. The shop wasn’t making money, probably hadn’t for years. Jared had already figured that out just by observation. Mara made incredible dolls, but how much could a doll shop really make in the current market? How many sales did it produce even during the busy summer months? Her rent for being on the main street in a coastal tourist town had to be sizable, even for a residence that was in desperate need of renovation. “You can find a new location,” he grunted, refusing to believe there wasn’t a solution to her problems. “You can’t stay there anyway if the roof is leaking. It’s not structurally sound.”

Mara shook her head slowly and shot him a weak, defeated smile. “There is no place else. And it wouldn’t be the same. I know I need to face reality. The business isn’t making a profit. I was going to have to let it go sooner or later.”

“What will you do?” Jared asked hoarsely.

Mara shrugged. “I’m not certain. Move to a bigger city. Find a job somewhere. Start over again. I guess that’s what I was thinking about. It’s just going to be really hard to leave Amesport.”

Oh, hell no. She can’t leave. Mara Ross’s family has been in Amesport for generations. She knows every historical fact about the town and is pretty much the unofficial town historian. She belongs here, dammit. She obviously loves it here.

Thunder rumbled ominously before Jared could reply. He stood quickly and held out his hand to Mara, worried about her being out in the elements as the storm blew in. She took it without hesitation and let him haul her to her feet.

“We need to find cover,” Jared ordered, urging her in front of him so they could get off the rocks and find protection from the rapidly approaching storm as quickly as possible.

She moved swiftly without saying another word, as though she’d navigated the rocks hundreds of time, which she probably had. Large droplets of rain started to fall, and she skidded once, but Jared wrapped an arm around her waist and led her off the rocks. Grabbing her hand as he dumped his paper coffee cup into the nearby trash, he pulled her with him as he ran for protection from the steadily growing strength of the rain.

By the time they reached the sidewalk by Shamrock’s Pub, they were both breathless. The two of them stood under the protective canopy of the local bar and gathering place, watching as the rain started coming down in sheets.

Mara’s eyes swept over him, and she laughed. It was a delighted, husky sound that made Jared instantly hard.

“You look almost human now,” she informed him merrily with a mischievous grin.

Affronted, Jared asked abruptly, “What did I look like before?”

Mara shrugged, looking embarrassed. “Perfect. You always look immaculate and perfect.”

Jared’s gaze surveyed her appearance, her soaked hair, her T-shirt nearly transparent and clinging to her body like a second skin. Her eyes were shining with an openness he wasn’t accustomed to as she looked up at him. Finally, he responded automatically, “You look beautiful.” He’d blurted the words out before he could censor them. Dammit. She did that to him, made him say whatever he was thinking before he could think about it.

She’s dangerous.

Looking at him skeptically, she replied, “I’ve heard you were a ladies’ man, but that description is more than a little over-the-top, don’t you think?”

He cringed inwardly. Being a billionaire and very much in the public eye, his every behavior was scrutinized. Okay. Yeah. He was always seen with a different woman clinging to his arm. Maybe he
did
go through his share of female companions, but it didn’t sit right with him for Mara to actually be pointing out the well-known fact that he was reputed to be a man-whore.

“I meant it,” he replied huskily, his eyes roving over her hungrily. He’d honestly never seen a woman more attractive than Mara was to him.

She crossed her arms and looked up at him disapprovingly. “In case you haven’t noticed . . . I’m a little too plump, short, and plain.”

She’s curvy, petite, and completely fuckable.

Jared felt a low, reverberating sound rising up in his throat. He didn’t like her making derogatory comments about herself. It pissed him off, especially since he didn’t think he’d ever been this drawn to a woman. He maneuvered her against the brick wall, trapping her body with his, which was probably a mistake. She smelled like fresh rain and vanilla, a scent that made his dick harder than he thought was possible. He raised a palm to her cheek and ran it down her silky, wet skin. “You’re soft and sweet, exactly the type of woman a man wants beneath him naked,” he told her bluntly. Her scent was driving him mad, and his control was definitely slipping. In his current state, he was having a very hard time not telling her that he desperately wanted to be the man on top of her, sinking his aching cock into her sweet, soft body.

Jared’s gaze locked with hers, and just for moment, there was nobody in the world but the two of them, their connection profound and unbreakable. Damned if he didn’t want to take her hard against the brick wall, her legs wrapped around his waist, and pound into her until they were both sated.

I have to fuck her or I’ll never get over this insane need.
Somehow, he had to get her in his bed and have her until he got bored. Generally, that was directly after the first sexual encounter. His desire usually faded immediately after he bedded a woman, his interest gone.

Mara flushed bright pink as she stared up at him, shaking her head slowly. “You don’t have to charm me,” she informed him as she inched her way down the wall and away from his body.

“I’m not trying to be charming,” he rasped irritably, damning his reputation to hell right at the moment. He might like women, but he was never, ever charming. He laid out the score before he ever fucked a woman, the deal struck before their bodies hit the bed. Women
always
wanted
something
from him, and it was never him or his body. It was always monetary in some way, although he’d never had a woman leave a session of hot sex unsatisfied. He made damn sure he got them off before he fucked them.

“I think you
are
charming when you want to be,” Mara mused as she moved to the edge of the awning, looking like she was contemplating whether or not she wanted to sprint across the street to her shop. “Beatrice and Elsie told me you were a very sweet boy. That’s definitely a compliment coming from those two, and a testament to how charismatic you can be. I have a feeling it comes naturally to you.”

“Then you don’t know me,” Jared grumbled, not happy that the two elderly women, the town gossip and the matchmaker, had referred to him as a damn boy. He liked Elsie and Beatrice, enjoyed listening to their stories and banter. But that didn’t prove that he was the least bit amiable. Truthfully, he was usually an asshole. But he couldn’t be that way with two aged women like Elsie and Beatrice. The pair of old ladies amused him, and even
he
wasn’t
that
big of a dick.

Mara turned back to him. “You’re right. I don’t know you. And I have no right to make any assumptions. I’m just trying to tell you that I’ve enjoyed our few conversations and I already like you. You don’t need to throw me false compliments. I appreciate your concern about my home. I really do. I guess I’m just not used to it.” She hesitated before adding, “Not from a guy, anyway.”

Holy hell. Did she think he was trying to blow smoke up her ass when he told her that he found her attractive?

“Get used to it. I’m going to help you whether you want my help or not. You need it.” He clenched his fists to keep from reaching out to snatch her up and hold her damp body against his until flames of desire dried them and set them both on fire.

Every instinct he had was clawing at him to comfort her or fuck her, but his brain knew that she’d run like hell if he tried to do either one of those things. Besides, what the hell did he know about comforting anybody? His experiences with women were like business arrangements. He’d learned a long time ago that it was better that way.

“Why do you even want to help me?” Mara looked up at him, wide-eyed and curious. “We aren’t exactly friends. You hardly know me.”

“I plan on getting to know you extremely well,” he informed her calmly, even though he was picturing her naked beneath him, screaming his name as she climaxed. Hell yeah, he wanted to know her . . . intimately. His fixation with her wasn’t going to go away until he did.

“I doubt we’ll ever get to know each other well at all. You’re only visiting here.”

True, his home on the Amesport Peninsula wasn’t his primary residence. But really, he didn’t actually
have
a home. He had houses all over the world, some he spent more time in than others, but they were just real estate. He’d initially come here to see his injured brother, Dante, but he’d lingered long after his police detective brother had recovered from his gunshot wounds. Dante was getting married to a local physician and taking a position with the police department here. “I’ll be here. I’m staying until after Dante’s wedding.”

“Just a few more weeks,” she reminded him, her brows narrowing in concentration, as though she was trying to figure out his motives.

She might as well give up trying to figure me out. I can’t even reason out my own idiotic behavior right now.

“I’ll be here,” he repeated ominously.

Mara blinked rapidly, her eyes growing moist. “I appreciate the offer, Mr. Sinclair, but my problems are my own to solve.”

Jared nearly growled when he saw the stubborn tilt of her chin and thought about her taking on the dismal situation all by herself. “Jared.”

She nodded. “Jared. Thank you for the offer, but this is something I have to deal with on my own. My entire life is going to have to change, and so am I.” She turned around without another word and sprinted across the street. Scurrying up the few steps to her door, she pushed against the wood and disappeared inside the house, never looking back.

I don’t want her to change. She’s perfect just the way she is now.

The sound of his name in her husky come-do-me voice had nearly tipped Jared over the edge, and he had to force himself not to follow her, grasping the wooden post that was supporting the overhang of Shamrock’s to make his feet stay planted.

Christ. I am becoming a damn stalker.

Shaking his head in irritation as he stared at her door long after she had disappeared, he slowly made his way to his black Mercedes SUV, a vehicle that usually just sat in the garage of his Amesport home, his gut still gnawing at him to go after her.

Patience. I have to have some patience with her. I need my damn control back.

Restraint was something he had very little of at the moment, and his time to help Mara Ross was limited. Eventually she’d hate him. It was inevitable.

As Jared seated himself in his vehicle, he gripped the steering wheel hard and closed his eyes with a tortured groan, the thrum of the rain beating against his windshield almost sounding like a ticking clock.

How long will it take before she finds out the truth?

Jared opened his eyes and started the engine, realizing that he didn’t have the fucking time to sit around moping. It wouldn’t be long before Mara found out that
he
was the buyer of her beloved home and shop, the bastard ultimately responsible for her losing everything she cared about.

He hadn’t planned on her finding out quite this quickly. Obviously, the damn irresponsible owner had jumped the gun.

As he did a quick U-turn from the curb he was parked on, heading back to his home on the Peninsula, he remembered his thoughts about just destroying whoever was causing her problems. Ironically, if he was going to deal with the situation
that
way, he’d have no one to kill . . . except
himself
.

CHAPTER 2

“I’m so sorry, Sarah. I can’t walk down the aisle for your wedding on crutches,” Kristin Moore moaned woefully to the other four women in her living room.

Mara frowned at the cast on her best friend’s leg, the result of a bicycle accident during the rain. She and Kristin, Dr. Sarah Baxter’s office manager, had been best friends since grade school, and her heart ached for the vivacious redhead. Mara knew how much Kristin had been looking forward to being a bridesmaid in Sarah’s wedding. She also knew how restless her friend could be. Keeping Kristin down for even a short time was going to be hell. “I’m sure Sarah understands,” she told Kristin adamantly, shooting a look at Dr. Sarah Baxter from across the room and seeing the pretty blonde nod emphatically.

“Of course I do. It’s not your fault, Kristin. It will be fine. You just need to worry about your injury and healing,” Sarah replied soothingly from her seat on the couch beside her best friend, Emily, Grady Sinclair’s wife. Emily was Sarah’s maid of honor. Randi Tyler, the pretty, dark-haired teacher seated on the floor, was one of the two bridesmaids for Sarah’s wedding.

Mara tried to hide her frown, knowing that Kristin, the second bridesmaid for Sarah, was likely to cut off her own cast and limp up the aisle if she had to. Her flame-haired friend was just that stubborn and unwilling to let anybody down after she’d made a commitment.

Folding her arms in front of her doggedly from her position on a recliner, her casted leg propped up on the leg rest in front of her, Kristin muttered adamantly, “I am not going to ruin Sarah’s wedding by making a spectacle of myself. Nobody wants to see some crazy redhead taking five minutes to struggle down the aisle on crutches.”

“Nobody is going to care,” Randi answered kindly.

“I care,” Kristin replied, annoyed. “It’s Sarah and Dante’s big day.”

Mara watched Kristin’s unyielding expression from her own seat on the carpet. Kristin’s tiny apartment didn’t have much furniture, and seating was limited. She tried not to frown as she saw the obstinate look on her best friend’s face, an expression she’d seen many times over the years. “You can’t have the cast off before the wedding,” Mara told her firmly. The accident had just occurred yesterday, for God’s sake. But Mara knew Kristin was already looking for a way to get rid of the inhibiting plaster mold on her leg. “Not happening.”

“Sarah’s numbers won’t be even. Grady is the best man, and Emily is the maid of honor. Evan is a groomsman with Randi, and I’m supposed to be across from Jared.” Kristin sniffled, tears springing to her eyes from frustration. “Dante can’t cut out his own brother from the wedding. Jared is already here. And he can’t walk up the aisle alone.”

“He most certainly can,” Sarah replied decisively. “You, my friend, need to rest that ankle. Doctor’s orders.” She used her stern doctor’s voice to make her point.

“What about Hope?” Randi asked inquisitively. “Can she do it?”

Sarah shook her head slowly. “Nope. We just found out that she’s pregnant, and Jason is hovering over her like a mother hen because she’s having really bad morning sickness that seems to be carrying over throughout most of the morning hours, and sometimes into the afternoon. She’s miserable. He’s bringing her to the wedding, but she isn’t feeling well right now.”

Mara grimaced as she heard the news that Dante Sinclair’s sister was pregnant and sick. As the sister of the groom, Hope Sinclair-Sutherland would have been the perfect solution to the dilemma.

“Damn!” Kristin exclaimed. “There has to be somebody—”

Mara cringed as Kristin stopped speaking, her best friend’s eyes landing on her with a calculating smile.
Oh, God. No.

“Mara can replace me,” Kristin said triumphantly.

“No, Kristin.” Mara’s eyes flew to the other women, who were all looking at her curiously and nodding. “I’ve never been in a wedding, and Sarah and I don’t really know each other that well. I’m sure she’d rather have a friend.” Honestly, they hardly knew each other at all. It wasn’t that Mara didn’t like the brilliant, friendly physician, but she couldn’t exactly call her a friend. She’d thought about using Dr. Baxter as her physician if she ever needed one, since her longtime family physician had retired. But she hadn’t needed a doctor in a while, and she barely knew Sarah. The only reason they were all together at Kristin’s place at the moment was to visit because she was injured. She knew Randi Tyler casually because she volunteered as a tutor at the Youth Center, and Mara taught a class there occasionally on basic crafts during the winter. She knew Emily slightly better because Grady’s wife was in charge of the Youth Center and arranged the classes.

I don’t know any of these women well. I can’t be a substitute in a wedding where I barely know any of the wedding party.

Oh, hell no.
Kristin had led her into so many crazy things in the past, and she’d followed her vivacious friend willingly. But not this time.

“You’re perfect to fill in. I already have my dress, and it will only take a little alteration,” Kristin said excitedly.

“I think it’s a great idea,” Emily seconded.

“Me too,” Randi agreed with an emphatic nod.

“I’d be honored if you’d do it, Mara,” Sarah said, her tone genuine and slightly cajoling. “I know we haven’t had the chance to get to know each other that well because I haven’t lived in Amesport very long, but I’d like to be your friend. Honestly, I don’t really have any other friends here.”

Mara swallowed hard as she met Sarah’s compassionate, understanding look. Since she’d spent most of her adult life taking care of her mom and running the doll shop, she hadn’t had a lot of time to make new friends, or spend time doing anything with her old ones from high school. It was one of the reasons she valued her friendship with Kristin so much. They were tightly connected and hadn’t ever drifted apart, even though Mara rarely had the time or money to do anything except hang out with Kristin. “Okay, I’ll do it.” The words popped out of her mouth before she could stop them, and she shot Kristin an I’ll-get-you-for-this-later expression. Her best friend knew her all too well. Mara could never say no to somebody who needed something or had a problem to solve.

“Thank you. I really
am
delighted,” Sarah commented with a gentle smile.

“It’s going to be great,” Randi agreed. “Dante hired a wedding planner, and it’s going to be quite a party.”

“Fantastic,” Emily added.

“I think the dress is going to take more than a little alteration,” Mara warned the women bluntly. While Kristin was slightly curvy, Mara was curvier, and Kristin was a good inch taller than Mara’s five-foot-three height.

“It’s not a problem. I’ll have it altered,” Sarah offered.

Kristin laughed merrily. “Mara is an incredible seamstress. She’s just used to sewing very small doll sizes.”

Mara nodded at Sarah. Because of her mother and her gran, there was very little she couldn’t do when it came to sewing. “I can do it.”

The other women all rose to their feet except for Kristin, and Mara got up hastily to accept hugs and expressions of gratitude for filling in for her best friend at the last minute. It felt strange to suddenly be pulled into this circle of friends, but it felt so very good to break her solitude. She liked all of these women, admired all of them, and her heart warmed as they each hugged her kindly.

“I guess I’ll be paired with Jared?” Mara asked curiously.

Randi snorted. “Yep. I don’t think it will be that much of a hardship. Just being paired with Jared Sinclair is worth the trouble. You have to admit, if you’re standing through a wedding ceremony, he’s great eye candy to have across from you.”

Emily smiled knowingly at Randi as she commented, “I don’t think you’ll find Evan difficult to look at, either. Seeing all four brothers together is damn near breathtaking, although Grady
is
the best-looking Sinclair brother.”

Sarah shot Emily a displeased expression. “Excuse me. I think you meant Dante.”

Randi burst out laughing as she watched Emily and Sarah giving each other belligerent looks. “You two are pathetic. I think we can just leave it at the fact that
all
of the Sinclair brothers are hot. And I saw Evan at your wedding, Em. He’s gorgeous, but obviously obsessed with his job. He dashed in just as the wedding started, and left right after the toast at the reception. I’ve never actually met him.”

Emily sighed. “I know. Our wedding was planned so fast, and Evan had meetings he couldn’t cancel. I’m glad he’s coming to actually participate in the wedding party this time. Grady’s afraid he’s working himself into an early grave.”

“Dante thinks so, too,” Sarah admitted glumly. “Like Dante can talk about workaholics? He worked nearly every hour of the day when he was a homicide detective in LA. But he swears that Evan is even worse, that he never takes a break and has absolutely no sense of humor. I have to admit I’m a little nervous about meeting him. He sounds more than a little daunting.”

Mara watched and listened as the women continued to banter about the four Sinclair brothers. To be honest, she didn’t know any of them well, although she had to admit that Grady, Dante, and Jared were three of the handsomest men she’d ever seen. She had no doubt that the oldest brother, Evan, was just as hot.

How can any family be blessed with such incredible genetics?

She didn’t know their baby sister, Hope Sinclair—now Hope Sutherland—but Mara was willing to bet she was as gorgeous as her brothers. Since Hope had recently married one of the most eligible and good-looking billionaire bachelors on the planet, she had to be a pretty extraordinary woman.

Mara tried not to think about her strange encounter with Jared Sinclair yesterday. Unfortunately, no matter what she tried to think about to wipe out the memories, it didn’t help. So she was working on convincing herself that he had been kind to her, and that was all. She didn’t want to remember how his damp shirt had clung to his broad shoulders and muscular biceps. Or how, for the first time since she’d met him, his smile had actually reached his incredibly sexy jade-green eyes.

Don’t forget that he’s a womanizer.

Jared Sinclair’s reputation with women was well-known, and it was said that he was never seen with the same woman more than once. Mara knew that, but she somehow had a difficult time imagining Jared as completely wicked. She sensed he was restless, and he almost seemed . . . well, for lack of a better word, lonely. It was pretty much a ridiculous notion since Jared had four siblings, and apparently plenty of women to keep him company. But Mara couldn’t shake off the notion that he was somehow . . . haunted. The bleakness she could see in his eyes even when he was outwardly smiling had made her wonder if there wasn’t way more to Jared than people could see on the surface. Strangely, the only women she’d seen him with since he’d arrived in Amesport had been Elsie and Beatrice. The other times she’d happened to spot him around town, he’d either been alone or with one of his brothers.

Oh, hell, maybe she was just seeing what she wanted to see because Jared Sinclair was hot enough to melt almost any woman into a puddle at his feet—her included. His usual impeccable, sophisticated appearance had been blown away yesterday, his expensive shoes ruined by the sand and rain, his auburn-streaked hair mussed and damp instead of tamed into its usual sleek style. His shirt had been rumpled and dark with moisture, so green it had actually matched his eyes. For once, he had seemed so human, almost . . . touchable.

Sighing inwardly, Mara tried to concentrate on the female conversation going on around her and stop fantasizing about Jared Sinclair. A guy like him was definitely not for her. Granted, she wasn’t exactly ugly. She saw her own face in the mirror every day. But she wasn’t particularly attractive, either, and his words had been just that:
words
. Jared Sinclair had been born rich, and had made himself even richer by owning one of the biggest commercial real estate companies in the world. Obviously he knew how to be charming when he needed to, even though he denied it, and equally as ruthless when it was warranted for his business.

“Nobody knows why Jared has hung around Amesport for so long. Dante thinks some woman here has caught his attention.”

Mara’s heart skipped a beat at Sarah’s offhand comment, wondering if Dante’s fiancée was correct and Jared had stuck around for a female conquest. “Do you think that’s true?” Mara asked breathlessly, cursing herself for sounding so interested. She wasn’t dying to know, dammit. She wasn’t. Who Jared Sinclair had sex with was absolutely none of her business.

“I’m not sure,” Sarah answered, looking curiously at Mara. “If he’s interested in somebody, he’s hiding it well. I haven’t seen him talking to anybody in town except Elsie and Beatrice, and I’m pretty doubtful he has his eye on either one of them romantically.”

Mara let out a startled cough, and it turned into a delighted laugh before she answered, “They both adore him, but I don’t think either one has realized he’s a grown man. They refer to him as a sweet boy.”

“That’s truly mind-boggling since we all know he’s anything but sweet,” Randi said thoughtfully.